Coaches Blog

I'm in Albuquerque, N.M. to teach a National Youth License coaching course. We have 36 candidates in the course, and it is going quite well. The course is set up to take place over two weekends. I have stayed in the state during the week between the course weekends to work with New Mexico Youth Soccer.

Last night we had a well-attended round table discussion with club directors and league managers. We spoke about the U.S. Soccer Best Practices document and the soon-to-be-released US Youth Soccer Player Development Model. We talked about the many resources for coaches (articles, DVDs, books) available from US Youth Soccer and how we can get those resources into the hands of recreational coaches. One of the new resources is our new DVD on coaching the principles of play in Small-Sided Games. We hope to have that disc available by the end of 2010, if not sooner.

We discussed parent education in a soccer club and how that impacts nearly every aspect of operating a club from training sessions and tournaments to life lessons. We even conferred on growing the game in Native American reservations and pueblos. There are already small soccer clubs in many of those communities, and the State Association is teaching Youth Module coaching courses there.

Last Monday, I went with Gloria Faber, office administrator, Josh Groves, technical director, and Jim Tilley, executive director, of New Mexico Youth Soccer to visit three soccer complexes on the west side of town. Two of those complexes are brand new. They have been built by the Northwest Rio Grande League to serve thousands of players. One of the complexes has grass fields with lights and artificial fields will soon be constructed. The site will also feature training areas for the teams in the league. Check out this article on developing training grounds at your soccer complex, click here.

Tonight, I run a model training session for state staff and club coaches in the area with a U-12 team. This is going to be a blast!

I wanted to get your opinion on a discussion we are having in our community regarding the possibility of a U-9 girl playing with the U-9 boys travel team. We are obviously split in our opinion as one school of thought is to allow her to seek her level of play regardless. The other side of the coin believes our education environments are equal for the boys and girls these days and debates whether an eight-year-old is better socially with their own gender.

After coaching a U-9 and U-10 team during the past two years, my opinion is that the 8 vs. 8 game is challenging enough for a young athlete (i.e., opponent, space, transition, technical/tactical speed) and she would find plenty of challenges in the middle of the field with her gender.

Any thoughts?

Here then is the response from the state association Technical Director:

Oh boy travel at U-9's...

Well, let's take a look at the 1999ers: Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Carla Overbeck and Michelle Akers-Stahl. All these women grew up with the game playing on boys' teams pre and post pubescent (no girls teams existed then) and probably their sharp skill is derived from those environments.

All the research shows that up until puberty it's OK to have boys and girls playing together. Actually, in their prepubescent years girls develop faster physically than boys (girls reach puberty around nine years of age, much earlier than boys for whom it is around 10-years-old) so physically there really is no danger. My concern in this case is the travel team situation where there are consequences for performance and the level is much more competitive than at a recreational level, so psychologically it could be an issue. How will the girl deal with things like the social aspect, and likewise the boys as her teammates, and the opponents? Also, what if the girl is hurt? Are you willing to hear/deal with all the consequences and issues?

Professionally speaking, I would have strong psychosocial reservations about her playing in the games, but maybe train with the boys for her soccer skill development if in fact she can hold her own physically.

I'll add to the Technical Director comments with the thought that we tend to be too quick to move very young players up an age group or to the next level of competition. By doing so, we often miss the chance to let that young talent be a star for a moment in their career. To be a leader in their age group or their division means they must take on more responsibility. This further develops American soccer talent, which must be deeper than just ball skills and athleticism. We need to also develop team leaders who can read the game and become impact players.

Some players should move up, but not before they measure their years on Earth in double digits, so let's all hold off on the movement of children to other age groups or levels of play before the age of 10 at the very earliest.

When it is time to consider moving a youngster up then the decision must be reached only after a 360° review of the player's talent and the predicted impact on the player. I am not against girls on boys' teams or players moving up, but I think the decision is made too hastily or without a full review in many cases across the country. Let's keep more kids in their age group to develop soccer leaders within a team. Train with older teams, play in coed games, have friendly matches with another competitive division, but let more of the kids stay in their age appropriate team and learn how to be tactically impactful upon the game and to be a psychological leader of their teammates. There will be time to move them up age groups and competitive divisions when they are teenagers, which for this girl is a mere four years away.

Here is a comment I received about the physicality of soccer in the youth game in America and my response.

As we are drawing to the close of the spring season, I wanted to re-iterate my concerns over how physical the youth game is here in the US. In your previous responses, you've acknowledged the problem and advised that the solution is multi-faceted (parents, coaches and referees). I do not disagree. But my recent experience is that this is going to have to be driven in the short term from the referees. There are simply too many parents and coaches already in place that ignore the coaching education and leadership you are providing on player development.

Way too many of the teams I encounter are being driven by coaches and parents that seem to have a strong desire to turn soccer into American Football (or at the very least use physical play to negate skill and intimidate younger or smaller teams). My boys are getting beat up and are not enjoying matches and tournaments to the extent that they should. I depend on the referee to protect them and to preserve their ability to enjoy the game by enforcing the spirit of Law 12. The excuse that players at the U-11/12 age can't control their bodies adequately to play within Law 12 is simply not correct in most cases and shouldn't apply anyway. I am working very hard to implement the player development model set forth by USYSA and USSF, but I need some protection for my players so that they enjoy the competition without having to resort to retaliation (which I do not allow) to protect themselves (or even the playing field). All I am asking is that referees in youth matches enforce Law 12 at the physical level of the better professional leagues (i.e. EPL, La Liga, Serie A - perhaps referees should watch some of these matches...). We rarely get that treatment now. The typical youth match I have seen gets progressively more physical (and dangerous) as the game goes on because the larger team discovers that the referee is not willing to enforce Law 12.

I believe this issue is the single biggest problem with youth soccer in the US. I realize that referee education is not within your realm of supervision or management. However, I know that you are well respected in the U.S. soccer community and that is why I am asking for your help. And again, I agree that coaches and parents must step up as well - but from a practical standpoint, the referee is going to have to force a significant majority to do so by managing the game in accordance with Law 12.

Thanks so much for your time and consideration.

Your point is well stated on the over physicality of some youth soccer play. And yes, indeed some coaches and players make up for a lack of skill by simply being more physical or even intimidating in the way that they play. You are also right that the solution does not lie with referees alone. Referees, coaches, club/league administrators and most importantly parents must work together to improve the standard of play. But when it comes game time the actions of the players when it comes to infractions of the Laws of the Game are mostly up to the players themselves to control. However, young players must be taught how to play skillfully and intelligently with resorting to athleticism last and never to intentional foul play. The teaching of the players comes from the coaches predominately. However, referees do have a role to play. They can teach the Laws of the Game and Fair Play to the players by enforcing the rules. Also, when players are in their preteens they should explain the calls they make to the children to aid them in learning the rules for their age group. So in other words, all of these groups of adults: referees, coaches, administrators and parents, have a role to play in the teamwork to improve the American youth soccer experience.

Now, having said all of that I think that your next step is to solicit the aid of your state director of instruction and the state technical director to address the situation in your league. I also suggest that you engage with your club president and director of coaching so that, as a club, you may take on this issue within your own club. Then let the league or state association take on the matter with youth soccer across Arkansas.

Does US Youth Soccer have any requirements or recommended practices as to how much time should be scheduled between games during a tournament? We had an incident with one of our recent tournaments with a real short recovery time between games and are contemplating adding a recommendation/requirement to our policy and would like to stay consistent with US Youth Soccer. Please advise. Thanks!

US Youth Soccer does not have a policy on this matter. However the state Technical Directors do have a pertinent position statement.

Tournament play # 11

We believe that excessive play at competitive tournaments is detrimental to individual growth and development and can serve to reduce long-term motivation. Multiple matches being played on one day and one weekend have a negative effect on the quality experience and development of the individual player. Further, far too many playing schedules include so many tournaments and matches that there is never an off season. We believe that players under the age of 12 should not play more than 100 minutes per day and those players older than 13 should not play more than 120 minutes per day.

We also recommend to tournament managers and schedulers:

The players should be allowed ample rest between matches.

That all tournament matches be of the same length and that no full-length match be introduced during play-off rounds.

Kick-off times allow players a reasonable opportunity to prepare for competition. This encompasses rest and recovery, nutrition and adequate time to warm-up and stretch after traveling a long distance in addition to taking into consideration extreme environmental conditions.

Additionally, U.S. Soccer's Best Practices document also urges a proper rest period between matches in a tournament. I suggest also that it is a risk management issue regarding injuries. Without time to recuperate between matches, fatigued players will make poor decisions, execute skills sloppily and move in a less controlled way. Anyone of those impacts can lead a player to clumsy play and bad timing of moves that could injure that player or an opponent. Furthermore, there's a hydration and nutrition need to refuel after the strenuous exercise of a soccer match. We are told by the American College of Sports Medicine that at least 24 hours is needed to replenish the body's nutrients to a level needed for competition. Even to digest easily digestible food will take at least three hours. So, I think you should aim for a minimum of four to six hours between matches if at all possible. Most of the State Association tournaments try to schedule only one match per day for a team.